Monday, December 16, 2013

Like
many a poor sap trying to make the most of this hectic world, my mind
tends to churn like a washing machine filled with ferrets. Even in the
most tranquil of moments, dozens of thoughts scrape and bite to get to
the top of my consciousness—and most of the time, it's the big ugly ones
that win the race.

Rodents and household appliances aside, you
may know this phenomenon simply as "stress." You have a million things
to do and a billion things to worry about. We all do. It's the curse of
the modern age.

Unfortunately,
most of us look to pursuits to take the edge off; they may seem to
help, but actually compound the problem. There's nothing wrong with the
occasional cocktail, or a little mindless television from time to time,
but activities like this don't solve anything. They just cover up your
issues and make your thought process all the more unruly.

If
you're looking for a serious solution, meditation is a far more
effective way to cut through the cerebral clutter—and unlike a booze
bender or a reality TV marathon, it only takes 5 to 10 minutes a day

The Benefits of Meditation

People
tend to associate meditation with Eastern religions like Buddhism and
Hinduism, but Judeo-Christian fans may be surprised to learn that there
are references to meditation in the Old Testament. And, in Islam,
meditation is an important part of Sufism. Although there are certainly
connections to religion, meditation, in the modern sense, can be
completely secular. No blue deities, no transcending this earthly form,
no incense (unless you dig that, then it's, like, totally cool)—just an
opportunity to organize your thoughts and take back your brain from the
laundry list of external forces pulling you in a million directions.

The
science on the benefits of meditation is super strong, especially when
it comes to stress reduction. Research appearing in the Journal of Biomedical Research
shows that meditation does this by increasing parasympathetic activity.
Your nervous system is divided into two parts—sympathetic and
parasympathetic. The sympathetic nervous system controls your "fight or
flight" reactions. It's the predominant nervous system when you're under
the gun. The parasympathetic nervous system controls your "rest and
digest" functions. In other words, when things are mellow, the parasympathetic takes charge—and meditation makes that happen more
often.1

But that's just part of the story. A
consistent meditation practice has been scientifically linked to
improved cardiovascular health, focus, and information processing.2
In fact, if you pick a malady at random, odds are that there's a
reasonably credible study showing that meditation either improves
symptoms or acts as an effective way to manage symptoms. There's really
no reason not to do it.

How to Meditate

Many
people mistakenly think the goal of all meditation is to "turn off your
brain." This is one technique (sort of), but in truth the definition of
meditation shifts depending on whom you ask. In some circles, it's a
matter of reading a philosophical/religious text and contemplating the
key passages (suggestions: the Bible, the Tao Te Ching, or Winnie the Pooh).
Tony Horton often refers to yoga as "moving meditation." When I'm
cycling alone, I often focus so intently on my breathing and the cadence
of my peddling that it becomes a form of meditation. Some people
consider sitting on a favorite park bench and breathing deeply for five
minutes to be meditative.

However you do it, the key to any good
meditation practice is to quiet the noise in your brain—not drown it
out or dope it up, but actively calm it down.

All those options
aside, if you're looking for something more specific, there are a few
meditation techniques that have been shown to be especially effective.

First, it's important to find a quiet place with minimal distractions.
Here in Los Angeles, lots of people prefer the beach. Frankly, I find
the waves, the birds, and the beauty of it all just too distracting. My
favorite place to meditate is the middle of my living room, at about 6
AM before my daughter and my dog wake up demanding waffles and kibble
(in that order).

Next, sit comfortably, but up straight.
You want to be comfy because, once you master it, you'll be there for a
while. You want to be upright for a couple reasons. Many experts claim
it's necessary because a straight spine allows energy to flow better.
Personally, I think sitting up straight is a good way to avoid
accidentally falling asleep. If you have back issues, do what you need
to do. I elevate my rump by sitting cross-legged on a yoga bolster. I
also support my spine by sitting with my back against a wall.

Finally, start with five minutes a day and increase gradually as it becomes easier.
Odds are, your thoughts are going to be all over the map the first few
times you do it. That's cool. Even if your practice felt like a complete
mess, it benefited you given it took you one step closer to learning
how to calm your brain. You'll get there. Just try again tomorrow.

From here, there are a number of practices to experiment with. You might want to try a variation of Transcendental Meditation (TM),
developed by Maharashi Mahesh Yogi, who you might remember as that yogi
guy who hung out with the Beatles. In this practice, you pick a mantra
to focus on—a word that has meaning to you and feels right, such as
"love" or "heal" or "beer." (It could happen.) Armed with your mantra,
sit quietly and repeat it silently to yourself. When your mind
wanders—which it will—simply steer it back to your mantra.

Another technique is mindfulness meditation.
Like the TM variation above, start with a focal point—typically your
breath. That'll hold your attention for a little while, but soon
thoughts or sensations will try to take over. Don't try steering away
from these things. Instead, accept them without judgment and let them
pass by, like waves on a beach or clouds in the sky. If it helps, you
can also assign "tags" to help you observe thoughts passively. For
example, let's say you're in the middle of meditating and suddenly you
remember how one of your coworkers stole your lunch out of the fridge
yesterday. Instead of following that path and letting your anger consume
you, assign it a tag that describes how you feel, like "anger." Now,
just repeat "anger" in your head, distancing yourself from both the
thought and the emotion. It should soon pass.

I've found this
technique to be an incredibly powerful tool for managing my emotions. It
can also be used for pain management, by isolating and passively
accepting pain instead of letting it consume you—which can be a massive
benefit when Shaun T's got your legs searing in the middle of an
INSANITY® workout.

If you're looking for a more in-depth look into mindfulness meditation, I strongly recommend Meditation for Beginners by Jack Kornfield.

The
modern world is a stressful place. Sometimes, there's nothing you can
do about the barrage of stressors that make up daily life. You can,
however, change how you—and your body—react to them, so take a deep
breath and take back your life.

By Denis Faye, Team Beachbody

Have you ever tried meditation? Has it helped you? Where have you struggled? Tell me at Bruce@BrucetheCoach.com.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

As the weather gets colder, it forces us to do things like wear
clothing that covers our midriffs and spend more time trapped indoors
with people who have runny noses and hacking coughs. To stay out of the
infirmary, we need to keep our immune systems running at optimal levels.
That means never going outside with wet hair and starving a fever,
right? Not exactly.

Colds are caused by viruses, not inclement weather conditions. So to
stave off the sniffles so you can continue to train hard through the
long winter months, you'll need to do a few key things.

1. Eat More Fiber

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association,
fiber intake should be between 20 and 35 grams per day. "Your immune
system needs key ingredients to function properly," says Dr. Steven
Masley, author of The 30-Day Heart Tune-Up. "Fiber is the most
potent-packed nutrient in the human diet. Eating more fruits, veggies,
beans, and nuts, as well as giving yourself a healthy oil change, using
olive oil, nuts, and seafood instead of inflammatory grain oils, can
help."

Lack of fiber in your diet can cause irregularity, constipation, and
lethargy—not exactly the best kind of ménage a trois. Boost fiber by
eating whole foods instead of processed and deep-fried foods that
contain trans and oxidized fats. "Trans fat is like embalming fluid; the
stuff is toxic," Dr. Masley explains. Sadly, that means passing on the
chicken wings and beer-battered pigskin hooves over Super Bowl weekend.

2. Manage Your Stress

Emotional
strains are unavoidable, and can serve a purpose if you're able to
control them. "Stress gives us purpose and challenge," Dr. Masley says.
"But if you don't manage stress, your cortisol goes up; and with
prolonged stress you will get sick more often."

Stress fires up your sympathetic —or "fight or flight"—nervous system
while suppressing your parasympathetic—or "rest and digest"—nervous
system, which plays a big role in healing and immunity. In other words,
when you're stressed, your body doesn't make fighting illness a
priority.

Other negatives of uncontrolled stress include stomach pains,
headaches, and trouble sleeping. So instead of Hulking up at your
dilemmas, misfortunes, and outstanding TPS reports, explore healthier
ways to calm down. Take deep breaths in through your nose and exhale out
through your mouth, read for pleasure, or take a walk. Basically, if
it's healthy and provides a reprieve from what's stressing you out, find
a way to build it into your daily routine.

3. Consume Lean, Not Mean Protein

Foods high in protein help keep skin, hair, and nails healthy;
they're also essential for packing on lean muscle. But all proteins
aren't created equal when it comes to boosting immune function. "Eating
'mean' protein doesn't just mean consuming saturated fat like cheeses or
fatty meats, but also proteins that are laced with chemicals, hormones,
and pesticides," Dr. Masley reveals. Stick to proteins like organic
and/or grass-fed meats, tofu, and legumes. These tend to be filled with
more antioxidants such as vitamins E and C, as well as omega-3 fatty
acids, all of which boost immunity. Then, as Dr. Masley suggests, "Add
healthy fats to the mix and you're not just helping protect your heart,
you're helping your immune system work better." Those include
extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds.

4. Sleep Better

Whether
you're pulling an all-nighter at work or you're pulling an all-nighter
with an attractive coworker, depriving yourself of sleep means you're
cutting back on your body's ability to repair itself. This includes
undermining the way your immune system fights viruses.

"Our bodies do a
lot of healing at night—we produce testosterone and growth hormone—so
when we deprive ourselves of sleep, we're shortening that repair cycle,"
Dr. Masley says.

5. Monitor Your Exercise Intensity

Undertraining can lead to you owning an unsightly spare tire around
your waist. But overtraining can lead to you owning decreased immune
system efficiency. Essentially, you need to find that healthy medium.
Some studies suggest that participating in more than 90 minutes of
endurance exercise leaves an athlete more susceptible to illness for up
to 72 hours after completing his or her last rep.

"Think of a U-shaped curve with immunity and exercise: No exercise
and you're sick all of the time. As you get more moderate, you drop to
minimal and almost never get sick. Overdo it and push yourself every day
and you're fried and get sick all of the time," he says.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

"Can't
you just tell me exactly what I'm supposed to eat?" is a question I'm
often asked. Today, we'll look at the answer that, incidentally, is
"no." It's a good thing that there isn't one perfect diet because we
don't all like the same foods. The world would be a pretty boring place
if we did. It also means that you have many choices when it comes to
eating healthy, so why is it so hard?

Eating well, for most of
us, requires eliminating junk from our diets. Therefore, it's easier to
tell you what not to eat. But based on the questions I receive, that's
leaving you too much leeway. Since I can't tell each of you exactly what
you individually should eat, let's have a look at what I eat, why I eat
this way, and how you can alter my diet to suit your personality and
lifestyle.

There are a few rules to achieving a healthy diet.
These will give you a far greater understanding of why I do what I do.
So let's look at them first.

RULE1: WE SHOULD NOT ALL EAT THE SAME DIET.Humans
are all different, even if it's only slightly. So when it comes to diet
we cannot expect that foods will all work exactly the same for us. This
is in contrast to what the myriad of diet books you can choose from
will tell you. Most of those want us to think that there's only one
way—theirs, incidentally—to transform and keep your body healthy. Of
course, if this were true there'd only be one book to buy. So, just the
fact that there have been hundreds of best-selling diet books is the
best argument that there are many different healthy ways to eat.

There
are many other scientific reasons for this as well. Some are proven,
like allergies. Some are more speculative, like eating for your blood
type, but all have some anecdotal evidence that they work, which is all
the validation we need.

Dairy products are the best example to
illuminate this point. There is plenty of science showing both pros and
cons to consuming them. But regardless of what science tells us, some
people do well eating dairy and others do not. When a food allergy is
suspected, eliminating dairy is the first step most nutritionists
recommend trying. It often yields great results, but not always. This
makes dairy a food group that some of us can eat and others cannot.

Similar
examples can be found within any food group. What it comes down to is
that, no matter how you want to eat, you're going to need to evaluate
your diet and see how it's working for you. This requires some trial and
error. While that probably sounds daunting, read on and you'll see that
it's not. By cleaning up your diet and eating for what you are doing,
it becomes fairly easy to identify foods that agree with you and those
that don't.

RULE 2: EAT FOR WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO BE DOING.You've
probably heard this before, especially if you're a longtime Beachbody
member. Similar to not putting gas in your car when it isn't going
anywhere, your body doesn't have the same nutrient requirements when
you're sitting as when you're moving. Since it's simple to understand
that you burn more calories attempting an Ironman than watching Oprah, it shouldn't be a stretch to understand that you have different nutrient requirements on different days.

Furthermore,
most of us have different periods in our life where we not only do
things differently on a daily basis, but have different goals. Some
common goals, where diet and lifestyle are concerned, are:

to lose weight

to gain fitness (regardless of weight)

to maintain weight

to train for an upcoming event

For each of those objectives you will want to eat differently. We will discuss all of them.RULE 3: THERE ARE THINGS YOU SHOULDN'T EAT.
Or,
at a minimum, that should never be in your kitchen. These are items
that, somehow, have made it onto our daily menus that we could easily
live without and, at least, should be treated as desserts, anomalies,
rewards, or emergency rations. For a more complete list, visit your
local 7-Eleven. Let's look at the major offenders.

Soda. How
soda has made it into our daily lives is a testament to marketing. It's
a dessert, at best, and when consumed daily makes it nearly impossible
to have a balanced diet.

High fructose corn syrup. It's
not just for dessert anymore. HFCS is now found in bread, salad
dressing, and probably 80% of the stuff at most convenience stores. It's
not just that it's bad for you; it's also an indication that a food
item is made using the lowest-quality ingredients possible. A 15-second
label check can protect you.

Trans fats. These
man-made fats help foods sit on shelves longer but serve no nutritional
purpose for you. They do, however, have a terrible downside.
Fortunately, they're on the dangerous food radar and now much easier to
detect.

Alcohol. Again,
it's not so bad in moderation but as a daily accoutrement to your diet
you're adding a lot of calories and very little food value. While I'll
be the first to extol its merits as a reward, it has no true place in
your daily diet. This will also help to understand which alcoholic
beverages are better than others.

Splenda, aspartame, and Sweet n' Low. Calories
aren't the only thing to worry about. These sweeteners have been proven
safe enough to not kill you but have no place as a regular part of your
diet. They also can lead to an enhanced sweet tooth, something that
won't make your fitness goals easier to achieve.

RULE 4: YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE PERFECT.Or
even close to it. In fact, there are times when you should relax and
let yourself eat whatever you want. I can even come up with a scenario
where junk food is what you want to be eating. But we'll get to that
later.

Your body is very resilient. Your mind, however, can be
the opposite. A constant client excuse is to quit a program due to some
type of misstep that they've stigmatized as "I've blown it." That's not
how it works. As long as the big picture is better than what it was
before, you'll be making progress. One bad meal, day, week, even month
doesn't matter. All that matters is that you're moving in the right
direction. As long as you're doing better than you were before, you'll
feel and look better than you did before. And the fitter you become, the
more your body programs itself to toss out those bad days.

Translation:
the more fit you are the more you can cheat. It's one of the best
examples of being rewarded for your work in the natural world.RULE 5: IF IT'S PROCESSED, DON'T EAT IT (well, sort of).Your
diet should consist of as much whole food as you can fit into it. This
means vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and meats that have been
processed as little as possible. If your diet consists mainly of these
foods then you're on the right track. Whole foods are also more
regulating than processed foods. Eating them causes your body to respond
in a natural way. It's pretty much exactly the opposite of what happens
with soda and candy.

But you don't have to avoid all processed
foods. As we learn to read ingredients and understand what types of
nutrients our body needs we'll see that not all processed foods are
evil. Look for processed foods with whole food ingredients. An easy
guide to processing is the fiber content on the label. The more
processed something is, the less fiber it usually contains. And fiber is
your friend.

Friday, December 6, 2013

'Tis the season for holiday parties, and if there's one thing you're
dreading more than awkward conversations with drunken acquaintances,
it's the array of deep-fried diet-busters awaiting you at the
refreshment table. How are you supposed to keep eating healthy and
feeling under-the-mistletoe sexy when cocktail franks are calling your
name? We asked Ani Aratounians, MS, RD, the manager of nutrition and
culinary development for Team Beachbody®, to help us navigate the good,
the bad, and the ugly among your favorite holiday appetizers.

Hummus and Veggies

What's Good: "Hummus is an exceptionally healthy
food, rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, protein, fiber, zinc, and
magnesium," says Aratounians. "Paired with fresh veggies, it becomes a
powerhouse of nutrients."Bad: Hummus contains around 25 calories per
tablespoon—so if you don't keep an eye on how much you're scooping, you
can rack up calories quickly. In other words, less hummus and more
veggies is the ideal strategy.

Shrimp Cocktail

What's Good: "Not only is shrimp a good source of
the antioxidant/anti-inflammatory astaxanthin, as well as omega-3s, but
80% of its calories come from protein," says Aratounians. What's Bad: Shrimp are high in cholesterol, which
may be an issue for those who are watching their numbers—but for most
people, the high omega-3 content still makes it a worthy option. Just be
careful not to douse the shrimp in high-sodium/high-sugar cocktail
sauce.

Chicken Skewers

What's Good:
"Chicken skewers made with low-fat, high-protein chicken breast can be a
healthy and filling appetizer," Aratounians says. "If the chicken
pieces are layered with superfood veggies such as peppers and zucchini,
it makes it even better." What's Bad: If the chicken is breaded or slathered in a sugary sauce, you may wind up consuming a lot of hidden calories and carbs.

Bacon-Wrapped Scallops

What's Good: The scallops—they're an awesome
source of selenium, phosphorus, B12, zinc, iron, omega-3s, copper,
magnesium, potassium, and calcium. What's Bad: The bacon, of course. "Wrapping
scallops in bacon can potentially triple their calories, saturated fat,
and cholesterol content," says Aratounians. Indulge in one or two if
they're your absolute favorite, but don't polish off the whole tray.

Stuffed Mushrooms

What's Good: They have potential. "Stuffed
mushrooms can make a delicious and healthy bite-sized appetizer, as long
as the stuffing is veggie-based and isn't loaded with bread crumbs,
cheese, and cream," Aratounians says. What's Bad: What's inside is anyone's guess. While
there are plenty of healthy homemade recipes out there, most people
will opt for the carb-heavy, prepackaged variety. "Stuffed mushrooms are
labor-intensive, so they're usually store-bought," cautions
Aratounians. "This makes it harder to find healthier versions." Of
course, you can always find out who brought the mushrooms and ask for
their recipe—and then plan your noshing strategy accordingly.

Nuts

What's Good: "Raw nuts can be a nutritious appetizer that provides heart-healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals," Aratounians says. What's Bad: Portion control is a toughie—who can stop after an ounce of nuts? "You can quickly add hundreds of calories to your daily intake without even realizing it," warns Aratounians.

Spinach Dip

What's Good: The spinach—and that's about it. What's Bad: The leafy greens are usually drowning
in mayo and cheese—and you're probably scooping them up with chips,
crackers, or pumpernickel. "Although this is a party favorite, a few
tablespoons of this dip can be loaded with hundreds of calories that
come mostly from saturated fats," Aratounians says.

Frozen Goodies

What's Good: They're easy. There's a reason
heat-and-eat apps like pizza rolls, cocktail franks, and mini quiches
are a party staple. After all, you don't have to be Martha Stewart to
microwave some Southwestern egg rolls. What's Bad:
"Packaged appetizers are often highly processed and loaded with
calories, sodium, unhealthy fats, refined carbohydrates, additives, and
preservatives," says Aratounians. "This makes them one of the
unhealthiest choices with hardly any nutritional benefits."

Nachos and Cheese

What's Good: Salsa can be low in calories and a good source of antioxidants, lycopene, and potassium. What's Bad: Everything else. "Most cheese sauces
don't even meet the requirements for being called cheese—they're loaded
with neon-orange food dyes and MSG," says Aratounians. "This appetizer
is high in calories, fat, sodium, additives, and preservatives—need I
say more?" Nope, that pretty much covers it.
Of course, even when you know the nutritional damage of your favorite
finger foods, it's hard to resist temptation when it's staring you in
the face. The easiest way to avoid overeating? "Don't go to a party
hungry!" Aratounians says. "Have a Shakeology® with water and ice, or a
handful of raw nuts, before you head out." Two more smart tips from her:
Hold a glass of wine in one hand and your phone in the other, so you
can't nibble without doing some juggling. And if you're worried there
won't be any healthy options, bring one with you—you'll salvage your
diet and help the host out. Win-win!

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

"If
you always put a limit on everything you do, physical or anything else,
it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits.
There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond
them." —Bruce Lee
While some might hesitate to consider Bruce
Lee's films works of art, there are few who will deny the beauty and
grace of his physicality. Standing at 5'7" and weighing 135 pounds at
his peak, the renowned martial arts master was a temple of muscle. As
Chuck Norris put it, "He had muscles on muscles."

Of course, to
reach this point took devotion, perhaps even obsession, which few of us
are willing to put forth. That said, there's still plenty to be learned
from the man whose short life—he died at 32 of cerebral edema in
1973—has influenced thousands of bodybuilders, action heroes, and
martial artists.

In the book Bruce Lee: The Art of Expressing the Human Body,
author John Little parsed through a vast amount of material on or about
Lee to come up with a concise interpretation of the master's fitness
regimen. At its core, Lee's plan consisted of anaerobic work—weight
training and isometrics—balanced with aerobic work. Given Turbo Jam® had
yet to be invented, his preferred form of cardio was running. He
combined all this with a clean diet. No surprises there. However, when
you look into the details, you'll find some interesting things.

On circuit trainingLee's devotion to what would eventually be known as circuit training started when he read a series of articles in Ironman
magazine by bodybuilder Bob Gajda about The Peripheral Heart Action
(PHA) System. Like Tony Horton does in his Power 90® routines, the
system moves from body group to body group instead of focusing a long
time on one particular group. The benefit of this is that blood flow
continually flows from muscle group to muscle group, thus increasing
muscular endurance and delaying fatigue. It also works the
cardiovascular system. Lee loved the multiple benefits of this
technique.On Lee's abdominalsThe
man had amazing abs, but he had to work hard to get them. His five
basic stomach exercises were sit-ups, leg raises, twists, frog kicks,
and side bends. He also understood that while you could do crunches
until you were blue in the face, it wouldn't matter unless you ate
completely clean, avoiding sugar, starches, and excess fats. Yes, there
are people to whom a six-pack comes naturally but, according to his
journals, Bruce Lee, owner of one of the most amazing six-packs in
history, was not one of these people. So next time you're pushing
through Slim & 6-Pack, thinking about that grandé mocha latte you
skipped this morning, just remember that Bruce Lee made the same sort of
sacrifices.On stretchingWhile
he believed in stretching every day for at least 15 minutes, his
regimen was basically to limber up at every available opportunity. He'd
do it watching television, reading, even in the sound studio while
dubbing his films. While few of us are in the movie business, that
doesn't mean we can't work a few thigh stretches into our coffee breaks,
or work those shoulders and neck while watching American Idol.

While
he was a man of extremes, Lee understood the importance of moderation
in the stretch. Never bounce-stretch or stretch too hard because
overaggressive stretching can actually send a signal to the brain to
tighten up the muscle to protect it from damage.On Asian food
Of
the various aspects of fitness, diet was the one Lee studied least. As
his wife, Linda Lee Cadwell put it, "He couldn't boil water" and
therefore left culinary responsibilities to her. He did, however,
understand "junk in, junk out." Mealtimes in their household weren't
much of a focus—more of a time to fuel up.
He
also preferred Asian-style cooking because it offered more variety in a
meal and a healthier ratio of veggies to protein. Keep in mind that
this was over 30 years ago, when American cuisine meant a potato and a
hunk of meat, as opposed to an Asian meal which could consist of shrimp,
chicken, veggies and tofu all on the same plate. He felt this variety
led to a more complete nutritional profile. While American cuisine has
since diversified, the message is the same, keep that variety up. Eating
the same thing every day probably means there are vital nutrients that
you're skipping.

And no, Bruce Lee wasn't a saint. From time to
time, he'd indulge in steak or even McDonald's, keeping in mind that
super-sizing did not exist at the time.On opportunities for everyday exerciseIn
much the same way he stretched whenever possible, Lee felt it important
to shove exercise into his day as much as he could. Here are some of
the tips he'd offer his students:

Walk whenever possible. Park the car a few blocks from your destination and walk the rest of the way.

No elevators. Take the stairs whenever possible.

Practice balance by standing on one foot when putting clothes or shoes on—or just stand on one foot whenever you choose to.

Fitness
doesn't come from 60 minutes a day. It's a lifestyle thing. Whatever
workout you're doing now is great, but take a look at the rest of your
life—when can you walk instead of driving? When can you hand-whip
instead of using a blender? When can you run around with your kids
instead of watching television with them? Bruce's son Brandon was no
slouch himself. His dad clearly had a huge influence on him.

Bruce
Lee accomplished an amazing amount in his short life. Even if you
follow his path, odds are you won't accomplish as much as he did. On the
same note, you probably won't win the Tour de France even if you train
like Lance Armstrong and you don't stand much of a chance winning the
California governorship, even if you lift weights like Arnie.

But then again, maybe a defeatist attitude like that is just the kind of "limit" Bruce Lee was talking about.

BONUS! The Bruce Lee Protein Shake
According
to John Little, up to two times a day, Lee would make a drink
consisting of several of the ingredients listed below. Unfortunately, he
left no instructions for his magic elixir. We can tell you this much,
however—he did use a blender.

* Eggs are healthiest when eaten raw, but poor-quality commercial eggs carry a risk of salmonella
infection. Unfortunately, these are the majority of eggs on the market.
The USDA does not recommend eating raw shell eggs that are not cooked
or undercooked due to the possibility that salmonella bacteria may be
present.

Monday, November 25, 2013

What vegetable burns more calories than it contains?Celery
has about 6 calories per stalk. But your body burns more calories than
that in the digestion process. It's not actually the chewing and
crunching, but the digestion of the high amount of cellulose in your
stomach that burns the calories.

What common bagel topping can show up as an opiate in drug tests?Poppy
seeds are related closely enough to opium poppies that they can show up
in a urine test as an opiate like heroin or morphine. The level is
generally considered too low to be considered a "true positive" and most
drug testing companies discount these results. However, just to be on
the safe side, the federal prison system has banned its inmates from
eating poppy seeds. And in case you were wondering, you could pretty
much eat your weight in poppy seeds and not get high.

Which U.S. state eats more ice cream per capita than any other?Despite living in one of the coldest states in the Union, Alaskans eat twice as much ice cream as any other state.

What are the food additives cochineal and carminic acid made from?These
scientific terms found in the ingredient lists of many foods,
beverages, and cosmetics are fancy names for a red food coloring
developed by the Aztecs, made of dried powdered beetles native to
Central and South America. While their origins may be less than
appetizing, they are perfectly safe to eat.

What do the letters in the canned meat product SPAM stand for?Salted
Porky Anonymous Meat? Guess again. Originally it stood for SP iced h AM
, named in a contest, where the winner was awarded the princely sum of
$100. The people at Hormel Foods say that while it does include ham and
spices, it doesn't begin to describe the product that is SPAM, and now
maintain that SPAM stands merely for SPAM.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

There have always been rumors spread about food. Remember the one about the Kentucky Fried rat or Mikey, the kid from the Life cereal commercials, who allegedly expired after washing down his Pop Rocks with a Coca-Cola? These, like so many, turned out to be apocryphal, but now in the age of the Internet, it seems like there's always some story making the rounds about a grocery item that will poison you or a food that will miraculously cure what ails you. Here are some myths we were able to dismiss.

Eating carrots improves night vision. This rumor apparently was started by the British during World War II, after a new British radar device began greatly assisting in the shooting down of German bombers at night. Not wanting to alert the Germans of the new technology, the government spread a disinformation campaign that the British pilots' love of carrots was the cause of their keen night vision. It spread like wildfire and it has become a staple in parents' arsenals for getting kids to eat their veggies. Carrots are generally good for your eyes, though, as studies are beginning to show a link between increased beta-carotene (carrots are loaded with it) consumption and a decrease in macular degeneration.

Turkey makes you sleepy. It's true that turkey contains tryptophan, the amino acid credited for the poultry's alleged soporific effects, but beef, chicken, meat, milk, and beans also contain tryptophan and they don't seem to make you pass out on the couch after dinner. Turkey's bad rap probably comes from the famous post-Thanksgiving food coma, which was probably not induced by trace amounts of an amino acid, but more likely by consuming vast quantities of carbohydrates like potatoes and stuffing, washed down with a couple of glasses of wine.

Caesar salad was created by or for Julius Caesar. Actually, despite what they might tell you at the Olive Garden, the Caesar salad is not Italian food. It was created by Caesar Cardini, a restaurant owner in Tijuana, Mexico less than a hundred years ago, not in ancient Rome. The recipe includes romaine lettuce, olive oil, garlic, coddled eggs, and Parmesan cheese, among other ingredients, but the original recipe does not contain anchovies—another myth debunked.

Mentos and Coca-Cola, combined, will explode your stomach. As any YouTube connoisseur can attest, dropping a Mentos candy into a two-liter bottle of Diet Coke can create an effect that will give the fountains at the Bellagio a run for their money. However, despite rumors of Brazilian youths dying of burst abdomens, this myth seems to be another of the endless variations on Mikey and the Pop Rocks. There seems to be little evidence that eating any combination of anything generally considered edible will make you explode. (Although that Chinese food I had for dinner came pretty close around midnight.)

Beware of flesh-eating bananas! There was an email forwarded by many well-intentioned people not too long ago that asserted that the FDA was covering up the fact that several thousand bananas covered in germs causing necrotizing fasciitis (the flesh-eating disease) had entered the country. This turned out not to be true. A reverse rumor, that humans were killing bananas, also has circulated. This one says that due to varying explanations, such as climate change or genetic modification, bananas will be extinct in less than a decade. This also is false. So, eat your bananas. They're full of potassium, won't make your skin fall off, and there are plenty more where they came from.

McDonald's uses kangaroo meat in their burgers. This is one that's been around since I was a kid. Common sense can answer this one. While we wouldn't put it past the Golden Arches to put anything in their food, kangaroo meat seems an unlikely beef substitute as it costs much more per pound than actual beef. Although adventurous eaters might consider adding 'roo meat to their diet, as it has more protein and about half the fat of beef.

Chocolate milk is tainted with cow's blood. This is a popular playground myth that milk too contaminated with blood to sell as plain white milk is colored brown, flavored, and sold as chocolate milk. Chocolate milk and all dairy products go through the same rigorous FDA testing process that regular moo juice does. However, the added sugar isn't doing you any favors.

Aspartame causes multiple sclerosis and lupus. Aspartame, often branded as NutraSweet, has been rumored to cause many serious diseases. While we consider the jury to be out on whether aspartame is completely safe, there have been no reputable scientific studies linking the sweetener to MS, lupus, cancer, or any other life-threatening illnesses. However, it still can't claim to be totally healthy.

Canola oil is toxic. It's been rumored that canola oil contains the same toxins found in mustard gas. Canola oil is made from oil pressed from the seeds of the rape plant, a member of the mustard family. There is actually no such plant as the canola, but it's easy to see the marketing problems that would result in calling it "rape oil." This may have been one of the reasons scurrilous rumors have circulated about this noble oil, which is perfectly safe and rich in monounsaturated fat, the best fat, also found in olive oil and avocados. As for the mustard gas claim, while it is true canola oil is made from mustard plants, mustard gas is not. It's called that because of its acrid smell, not its ingredient list.

Red Bull causes brain tumors. As a favorite beverage of Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, it's easy to make a case based on anecdotal evidence, but there actually is nothing in Red Bull that has been linked to brain tumors. It has been banned in some European countries because of its high caffeine content (a can has about as much as a cup of coffee), but aside from the typical health concerns regarding any sugary, caffeinated beverage, Red Bull appears safe. Claims that it will give you wings seem unfounded, however, and when mixed with vodka, it has been rumored to make underpants disappear.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

When
aren't we going on and on about how you need to eat more vegetables?
They're full of fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and low in calories and
fat. And one of the best ways to eat them? Raw. So you're trying to be a
good camper, with your bowl of broccoli and cauliflower florets, baby
carrots, and celery sticks, crunching your way to a leaner (and probably
gassier) you. You know what would really make these veggies sing? Some
dip! French onion dip. . . or guacamole . . . or hummus . . . or nacho
cheese. Ha! Guess again! Nothing can make your healthy vegetable snack
descend the rungs of Michi's Ladder faster than a few dunks in a bowl of
fatty, salty, delicious dip. But we're not completely heartless. Here
are some variations on some old favorites that are actually pretty good
for you!

Hummus. It's
a perfect dip. Made primarily of creamed chickpeas, it's like dipping
your vegetable in another vegetable! But not all hummuses (or is it hummi?)
are created equal. Many are loaded up with tahini (the sesame paste
that gives hummus it's nutty flavor) and olive oil, which are almost
pure fat. Granted, they're both healthy fats, so a little is OK, but too
much will pack on the pounds. Try making your own from scratch. Just
puree a can of chickpeas in a food processor or blender with lemon
juice, garlic, and cayenne pepper to taste. You can add as much tahini
or olive oil as you think your diet can handle, or none at all. If the
hummus is too thick, you could thin it with a little vegetable broth or
water instead of oil.

Guacamole. Avocados?
They're in the Pious Tier of Michi's Ladder. And guacamole is just
mashed avocados, right? Right, but as with olive oil and tahini,
avocados are full of calories. One avocado has 227 calories, and 21
grams of fat. Instead, how about an easy-to-make avocado dip? In a food
processor, combine one avocado, one cup of nonfat yogurt, and one cup of
nonfat cottage cheese (all top-tier ingredients from Michi's Ladder).
Blend until creamy and no lumps from the cottage cheese remain. Add
cayenne pepper and ground cumin to taste. For extra flavor and texture,
mix in some chopped fresh cilantro and onion before serving.

French onion dip. OK,
nothing made of instant soup (essentially flavored salt) and full-fat
sour cream is going to pass Michi muster. But onions are in the top
tier, so that's a start. Instead of sour cream, how about tofu? It's not
just that white brick that sits in the back of your fridge after a
well-intentioned impulse buy. Puree 2 cups of extra-soft tofu in a food
processor with a couple of tablespoons of white wine vinegar and
Worcestershire sauce, and garlic cloves to taste. Meanwhile sauté some
chopped onions in a little bit of olive oil until caramelized. Mix the
onions into the tofu mixture and deglaze the pan with a little white
wine and add that to the dip as well.

Spinach dip. Nothing's
a bigger hit at a party than that hollowed-out sourdough boule full of
mayonnaise-y goodness. Instead of mayo though, try pureeing some nonfat
yogurt and cottage cheese. Thaw out some frozen chopped spinach and mix
that in and add some chopped water chestnuts and scallions for crunch
and flavor. For extra zip and color, try mixing in some curry powder.
With all that going on, you'll forget the mayo's gone! And don't forget
to use whole grain bread.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Onions, garlic, and leeks—the bane of the romantic evening, but the balm for so much else. These aromatic and pungent stars of the vegetable world are all members of the allium family and have a myriad of health benefits, both real and purported, not the least of which is all those germs you'll avoid when nobody will kiss you after you've eaten them. So, let's take a moment to salute these beautiful, bountiful bulbs which are delicious and nutritious, with a smell that's slightly vicious.

ONIONSThe onion (Allium cepa) has been a culinary staple for thousands of years. Many civilizations even worshipped them as symbols of eternity, because of their concentric rings. Ancient Greek Olympic athletes consumed onions before exercise, as it was believed they cleansed the blood. They were also taken along on long sea voyages by many cultures, as their high levels of vitamin C helped prevent scurvy. Onions have also been applied topically as home remedies to relieve congestion, fever, gout, and arthritis, as well as to speed healing of scars and burns.

In modern times, many studies have turned up evidence that there are some genuine health benefits to eating onions. Onions can help lower levels of LDL cholesterol, the bad cholesterol that is responsible for clogging arteries. They are believed to lower blood pressure. They have been found to have antibacterial properties which can help kill salmonella and E. coli. They can reduce clotting, which can aid the circulatory system. They have anti-inflammatory properties which can help alleviate cough and cold symptoms, and onion extracts are even used in some asthma medications to provide bronchial relief. They are loaded with vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. And they are among the cheapest vegetables available, which is healthy for your pocketbook.

It's an extremely versatile vegetable, which can be sharp and tangy when raw, or sweet when cooked. Another great thing about onions is that almost none of their nutritional value is lost when cooked. One medium onion only has 44 calories, no fat, and 2 grams of fiber. A half a cup of chopped green onions only has 28 calories, no fat, and 4 grams of fiber. So for those of us keeping an eye on our diet, onions are a great way to get a lot of flavor for very few calories.

Cooking tip: Onions contain all kinds of different sulfur compounds. When the vapor from the sulfur hits your eye, sulfuric acid is created, which is why onions can make you cry. The best way to avoid tears is to rinse the onions after you cut off the ends. The milkier the juice oozing from the onion, the stronger the acid. By rinsing this off, you'll have fewer tears, and the onion will be less bitter in the recipe. Also, make sure you use a very sharp knife. This will help ensure that the juice stays in the onion instead of on your cutting board, and ultimately in your eye. Less juice, less vapor, less crying.

GARLICGarlic (Allium sativum) is a spicy relative of the onion. Unlike the onion which is a discrete bulb, a head of garlic is a clump of bulbs, each clove an individual bulb. It has also been harvested for thousands of years for its flavor and also is one of the earliest known plants to be cultivated for medicinal reasons. It was thought by ancient cultures to be a great purifier, i.e., anything that smelled that bad had to kill whatever bad was inside you. And garlic is a frequent component in folk remedies throughout the ages, purported to cure impotence, madness, and tuberculosis. And anecdotal evidence that it wards off vampires and werewolves is very persuasive.

As with onions, garlic contains a high number of sulfur compounds, and when a clove is broken or chopped, the chemical reactions create a very pungent smell. Allicin, a sulfur compound found in garlic, is both an antibiotic and antifungal compound. It is also what gives garlic it's hot, spicy flavor. It and other sulfur compounds have been credited with researchers for a number of health benefits, including lowering of LDL cholesterol levels and increasing HDL (good) cholesterol levels; lessening atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries; reducing clotting of the blood; stabilizing blood sugar levels; and possible anti-cancer benefits. Studies have even shown that babies tend to breast-feed better when their mother eats garlic which shows up in her milk. And a clove of garlic only has 4 calories and no fat, so you can season your food to your heart's content.

Cooking tip: To get rid of garlic breath, chew some parsley. To get rid of the smell on your hands, wet your hands and rub them against the blade of a clean stainless steel knife (but don't cut yourself!). To get rid of the odor in your plasticware, freeze the offending item overnight. When you take it out of the freezer, the smell should be gone!

LEEKSLeeks (Allium ampeloprasum) are also members of the onion family. Usually they are eaten for their white and light-green base, and some are cultivated for their bulbs, which are marketed as "elephant garlic." Leeks have enjoyed a long history, especially in Europe. In Wales, the leek is the national emblem, a symbol of courage and independence. They require much more care in their cultivation, as they are a biennial plant, like asparagus, and are therefore a little more expensive than their bulbous cousins.

Leeks recently received some good ink in Mireille Guiliano's French Women Don't Get Fat: The Secret of Eating for Pleasure. In the book she revealed her recipe of Magical Leek Soup, a simple leek broth, which she would eat on a two-day fast to jump-start her diet. (We prefer our own 2-Day Fast Formula®). Their high content of manganese, vitamin B6, vitamin C, folate, and iron make them an excellent food for helping to stabilize blood sugar, probably the reason Ms. Guiliano's fasts are successful. Also, like garlic and onions, leeks are good at raising HDL (good) cholesterol levels while lowering LDL (bad) levels. There has also been some evidence that they lower blood pressure. At 38 calories per leek, with no fat, this is another great light vegetable.

Cooking tip: Because leeks must grow through two seasons before they are harvested, there is a fair amount of dirt, grit, and sand hidden in their folds. Before chopping your leeks, soak them in a sink full of cold water, so that some of the sand and grit will float out. Then chop from the white to the green, and rinse again, as needed.

Thursday, November 21, 2013

So do you think you burn hot, or not? Do you
know how metabolism works and effects your health and your weight? Maybe
you do, maybe you don't. Check yourself out by reading further:

FALSE: Your metabolism slows drastically because of age.

People's metabolism does tend to slow a
bit as they age, about 5% per decade, but the biggest change isn't
because we're getting older, it's because we're becoming more sedentary.
As we age, many of us enter a vicious cycle of decreasing our activity,
which causes us to gain weight, which causes our metabolism to slow,
which causes us to have less energy, which causes us to be more
inactive, which causes us to gain more weight, etc. The reason you
didn't gain weight as easily when you were younger is probably because
you were more active. If you can maintain a comparable level of activity
into your golden years, you can keep your metabolism as high as it ever
was, or higher.

TRUE: Your metabolism is genetically fast or slow.But this doesn't let us off the hook.
Sure, a lot of us were dealt some bad cards genetically, but our genetic
predisposition is only a fraction of what influences our metabolism.
Behavior, in terms of what you eat and how active you are, is many times
more important then the metabolism you were born with.

FALSE: Heavier people have a slower metabolism.The good news for heavy people is it
takes a lot more energy to haul that carcass around, so heavy people
will actually have a much faster metabolic rate to produce the energy
they need for day-to-day activities. The bad news is that in order to
lose weight and maintain long-term weight loss, they will have to make
greater and longer-lasting changes in diet and exercise to keep the
weight off .

TRUE: Men metabolize alcohol better than women.This has nothing to do with the fact
that men may be bigger or have a higher tolerance because of their vast
experiences at keggers. It's because men produce an enzyme in their
stomach that women do not. This enzyme is responsible for metabolizing
alcohol more quickly, so only about half as much alcohol enters the
bloodstream of a man as a woman. So in that famous scene from The Thin Man
when Nora Charles asks the bartender how many drinks her husband Nick's
had and requests he line up an equal number for her, she's actually
setting herself up to get twice as drunk as Nick. As tolerance
grows, both genders will metabolize alcohol faster, so the ladies could
conceivably catch up, but they start at a huge disadvantage.

TRUE: Eating certain foods can speed up your metabolism.But eating any food will speed up your
metabolism—at least in the short term. Some studies have shown that some
food and drink such as hot pepper, green tea, and caffeine can give you
an extra short-term calorie-burning boost, but for a long-term change
to your metabolism, overall improvements in diet or exercise are
necessary.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Your
body resists change, even when it's good for you. This irritating
little survival trait has led to a passel of colloquial words that we
use when referring to how to deal with it. These include survival mode,
starvation mode, periodizational training, plateau-ing, and set point.
Today we'll tackle the latter, which is a term we use to explain why our
bodies impede our results whenever we get close to our target weight.

"Set point" is not a real term in a medical sense and, thus, its
meaning is often misused or misunderstood. A common "definition" found
on the Internet states "Set point is the weight range in which your body
is programmed to weigh and will fight to maintain that weight." While
more or less accurate, its use of the word "programmed" is misleading
because it insinuates that you have no control over the programmer,
which is, in fact, yourself.This
is further exacerbated with the sentence "everyone has a set point and
just like you have no control over how tall you will be, or what color
your eyes and hair will be, you also have no control over what your set
point will be. Your body is biologically and genetically determined to
weigh within a certain weight range." While this sentence has some true
elements, it's also fatalistic and sounds as though you're doomed to
live a life that's predetermined. You have a lot more control over what
you weigh than your height and what color your eyes are. If this wasn't
true, Million Dollar Body members wouldn't be so successful at losing
weight.

What the creators of the term "set point" have done is to combine the
meaning of the word homeostasis with the fact that there are different
body types. Homeostasis is your body's desire to stay regulated under
varying conditions. Since it's a point your body likes to maintain, it
is, in a way, a set point. Except that it's changeable. Body type is not
changeable. However, how your body looks, no matter what type, is
easily altered. If that weren't true, bodybuilding would be a sport with
only one body type, and it's not.

So let's get down to the business of how to change your set point.
Since "set point" isn't even a real term, but more of a myth, it
shouldn't be too difficult. We change myths all the time.

Step 1: Change whatever you are currently doing. If you don't believe that your set point can change, try Morgan Spurlock's experiment, the film Super Size Me,
and super-size all of your meals at McDonald's for the next month. Most
of you can visualize this pretty well. If you overeat like crazy, you
will gain weight. By just understanding this one thing we've myth-busted
the legend of the set point. You can gain weight and, therefore, you
don't really have a set point as defined.

But you probably don't want to gain weight; you probably want to
lose. So let's look at how this works. Your body likes wherever it is
right now. Even if that state is sick or overweight or out of shape,
your body tries to hang on to this state because the reactionary state
of your body is that change is bad. It's a survival mechanism that kicks
in because, no matter how unhealthy, we're currently still alive and
all change has some risk associated with it. But we are reasonable
beings and have the ability to offset our reactionary state (that we
might want to refer to as our "amoeba state"). So when we understand
that something is good for us, we can force our reactionary body into
doing something it doesn't want to. The easiest step of all is to simply
change what you are currently doing.

When ultra-runner Dean Karnazes made the decision to become a runner,
he was in a bar. He stopped drinking, went out into the night, and ran
30 miles. At that time, his set point was that of a guy who sat in bars
and not someone who would run 50 marathons in 50 days. He had to change
it, which he did in sort of an extreme manner. But my point is that he
did change it. And it didn't happen on that first run, which I'd imagine
was quite miserable. You've got to force change on your life; otherwise
your body will revert to its state of homeostasis.Step 2: Clean up your life.
Step one is easy; this one takes more work. Nothing you can do will
help you as much as changing your lifestyle to a healthier one. Eat less
junk, get plenty of exercise, stay hydrated, eat more whole foods. It
doesn't sound all that hard, but we wouldn't be having this discussion
if it were easy.

This is a roundabout step because it won't necessarily change your
weight and, hence, your set point, but it will change you inside. It's
the most important step because your body will get healthier and run
better. Eating good food changes the way your body metabolizes,
especially when you add some exercise. And your metabolic process is
what this entire set point issue is about. When you change your body's
foundation for the better, it will more easily accept future changes.Step 3: Zigzag your diet. To
lose weight, you generally need to eat less. But while randomly eating
less can be effective, the best strategy that you can use is to zigzag
your calories.

Don't confuse zigzag dieting with yo-yo dieting; they are completely
different. Zigzagging means to eat more on different days in order to
keep your body's metabolism working at its set point while you are
under- or overfeeding it. It works both ways—you can zigzag down and
zigzag up.

Your goal is that your overall calorie expenditure is either down or
up. Most of you probably want to lose weight, so let's use down. Say you
weigh 200 pounds and want to weigh 150. Your body wants to eat around
3,000 calories a day in order to maintain its weight (or its current set
point). But you want to lose weight as quickly as is safe and you're
psyched to starve yourself to do it, so you're willing to eat 1,200
calories a day. If you do, however, your body thinks that you are
starving and, over time, begins to lower its metabolism. There is some
lag time in your body's ability to react, so you may lose a lot of
weight in a week or two eating 1,200 calories a day but then it will
slow down. Furthermore, your slower metabolism will negatively affect
your ability to work out hard, especially the fitter you become.

Instead, eat between 2,500 and 3,000 calories two or three days per
week and 1,200 on the others. This way your body doesn't have the time
to react, resulting in negative calorie days that force your body to
more efficiently use its stored body fat as fuel for energy. While your
caloric consumption for a week is a few thousand calories higher than if
you were eating less, your higher metabolic rate allows you to work out
harder, exert more energy, and burn more calories. Over time, the
calorie burning will increase beyond what you could hope to achieve by
just eating less.

As you lose weight, your upper-end caloric consumption can drop. But
be careful because your body composition is changing. With more muscle
and less fat, your caloric needs increase, even as you are losing
weight. There is no exact scale to use for this, but a muscular
150-pound person can burn more calories than a fat 200-pound person. So
never drop your high-calorie days too much.Step 4: Eat more!
Assuming you've followed the above steps you will reach a point where
you need to eat more in order to continually lose weight. The reason is
that a 1,200-calorie-a-day diet isn't enough to feed a highly active
person of any weight. If you're small, 1,200 calories may be fine during
times of inactivity, but an hour of intense exercise burns at least 500
calories and an active body can't live long (at least in a fit state)
on 700 calories a day—it's starvation mode central. For this reason,
adding calories is probably the number one piece of advice we use on the
Message Boards to get our members off of weight plateaus toward the end of their programs.

This concept throws a wrench into the original idea of the whole set
point theory because if your body's "set point" is, supposedly 160
pounds, is it 160 pounds at 15% body fat or at 30%? The difference in
how these two bodies will look couldn't be starker. It's like the
difference between Gabrielle Reece and Roseanne Barr. How you look is
far more related to your body composition than your actual weight.Step 5: Periodize your diet.
In other words, eat for what you do. Food is fuel and you don't put gas
in your car when it's sitting in the driveway. It's much the same with
your diet. You need far less food when you are sitting all day then when
you aren't.

Periodizational dieting is, basically, just planning your diet around
your activities with your goals in mind. Much the way you do with your
workouts. For example, Beachbody exercise programs are all programs,
meaning that you do certain exercises and workouts over a given amount
of time, usually 4 to 12 weeks. Then you're "done," at which point you
re-evaluate your goals and do something different. This is exactly how
your diet should work.

For example, each of the above four steps could be a "period" of
dieting. Each time you change what you were doing before, you go through
a period of adjustment as your body resets its set point to reflect
your new lifestyle. Once it's reset, you again change what you are doing
until you get your body to the point where you want it. At this point,
your set point becomes your friend because, due to homeostasis, your
body always wants to maintain the point it's currently at.